All four of South-East Asia’s representatives at the AFC U16 Championships have an opportunity to qualify for the knockout stages ahead of the last round of group games.
Group A pits Thailand and Malaysia in competition alongside Tajikistan and Japan for the two qualifying spots. Japan currently holds top spot, but hosts Malaysia can overhaul them with a victory against the Samurai Blues on the final day. If that were to happen, a draw would be insufficient to secure Thailand’s progression, who need to either win or rely on a victory for Japan.
Tajikistan have only a single point after four games, but could still qualify given a victory for themselves and Japan in the final round.
Elsewhere, Indonesia and Vietnam fight for supremacy in Group C. Vietnam face Iran in a final match that could effectively be meaningless if Indonesia and India manage a draw. Both of the lower-ranked teams will need to rely on the team that beat them to win their final game, if they wish to to have any hope of qualifying, due to the head-to-head ruling.
It is unlikely that all four of these sides will be able to secure progression to the knockout stages. Regardless, their strong performances in this tournament are a clear indication that football in the region continues to grow.